Connections Academy

Connections Academy is a division of Connections Education LLC, a private school based in Baltimore, MD that contracts with charter schools, school districts, or governmental entities to provide "online" lessons to students.

Sylvan Ventures started Connections Academy in 2001. The company started its first schools in 2001, and in 2004, Connections Academy was sold to Apollo Management, L.P., a corporate investor specializing in real estate. The website states that: "The company now operates tuition-free public schools under management contracts from charter schools or school districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In Spring 2009, Connections Academy opened a private school, National Connections Academy, that is available everywhere."

There is also another off-shoot called "Connections Learning" that provides online education in the US and abroad.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council
Connections Academy is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Mickey Revenaugh, Conections Academy co-founder and Senior Vice President of State Relations, is the co-chair of ALEC's Education Task Force as of 2011.

Revenue
Apollo Management L.P. owns Connections Academy and Connections Education.

2010 Total Revenues: $2.1 billion Net Income: $94.6 million Gross Profit: $166.5 million

2009 Total Revenues: $966.7 million Net Income: $-155.2 million Gross Profit: $-528.3 million

2008 Total Revenues: $-266.7 million Net Income: $-912.3 million Gross Profit: $-1.1 billion

Leadership

 * Barbara Dreyer - President and CEO
 * Dr. Steven Guttentag - Executive Vice President and Chief Education Officer
 * Susan Fancher - Senior Vice President, Marketing
 * Earl W. Grier, Jr. - Vice President of Schools
 * Marc Guerrasio - Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
 * Dr. Patricia Hoge - Vice President, Curriculum and Instruction
 * Monte Kalisch - Vice President, Development
 * Yvonne Kisiel - Senior Vice President and General Counsel
 * Pat Laystrom - Vice President, State Relations
 * Ted Ochs - Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
 * Mickey Revenaugh - Senior Vice President, State Relations
 * Peter Robertson - Vice President of Schools
 * David Schmidt - Vice President, Business Development
 * Susan Stagner - Vice President of Schools
 * Deane Turner - Senior Vice President, Operations

Lobbying Controversies
The left-wing "Our Oregon" reported in 2011 that freshman Oregon State Rep. Matt Wingard (R-Wilsonville), a vocal advocate of online schools and Connections Academy in particular, was actually on the payroll of Connections Academy. It also noted that the President of Oregon Connections Academy is Jeff Kropf, former state legislator and current state director of the Koch-funded [Americans for Prosperity]].

Contact
1001 Fleet Street, 5th Floor Baltimore, MD 21202 888-440-2890